More Proof the NFL is Absolutely Terrified of Any Association with Gambling

Bradley Cooper is starring in a new movie, the highly-anticipated “Silver Linings Playbook,” which opened this week. I won’t delve too much into the plot, but the movie is based in Philly, where Cooper is from, and his dad (Robert DeNiro) plays the role of a football fan/gambler/bookie.

The NFL Network booked Cooper to appear on a Thanksgiving special Thursday with co-star Chris Tucker. But at the last second the NFL decided to pull Cooper from the show. Why? According to the NY Post:

“The segment was pulled because the movie included content related to gambling on NFL games.”

Nobody’s asking the NFL to embrace gambling, even though it is clearly one of the main reasons for the NFL’s surge in popularity over the last decade. But yanking Cooper because someone in the movie is a bookie? Man, Roger Goodell has way too much time on his hands to be freaking out over insignificant things like this. [NY Post]